Murder Inc - "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney style

Investigative reporter extraordinaire, Sy Hersh, tells us that former US Vice President "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney was running a hit squad out of his office. One can only hope that if America won't prosecute this scum bag, and lock him away for the rest of his (un)natural life, that he will eventually make the mistake of leaving the country and a true democracy will do it for us!

Auntie's spectacular own goal

By now I am certain that all of you are familiar with the unconscionable decision by the head of the BBC to refuse to air an appeal for donations to alleviate the suffering those in Gaza who are suffering in what is truly a humanitarian disaster. There are probably in excess of a half a million innocent civilians without water and power and certainly over a hundred thousand, probably more, who are without homes. The argument by BBC honchos is that they cannot seen to be taking sides in a political conflict; an argument that has never occurred to them before when they broadcast appeals for aid to Darfur and elsewhere.

There are at least two unanswered questions that demand a response;

As I write this I am listening to an interview on the BBC's own World Service between Mr. Thompson, head of the Beeb, and John Humphreys, one of Mr. Thompson's employees. Mr. Thompson admitted that there was incredible suffering in Gaza but that the BBC could not allow the appeal because the political situation is unsettled. Unfortunately the usually dogged Mr. Humphreys failed to follow up and demand an answer to the question why these hundreds of thousand of innocents are to be allowed to suffer because of politics.

The second, more dangerous question, that also must be answered is whether there was any contact between official Israeli government sources, official Hamas government sources or unofficial lobbyists on either side and any BBC officials before, during or after the time when this disgraceful decision was made.

I imagine that we will not know the answer to the later question for many years, if ever.

Exploding wing nut heads alert

I plan to sit back and watch as America's right-wing-nut community goes berserk over the completely accurate comments by UN special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, that US must investigate and prosecute George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld et al for crimes against humanity.

The United States has ratified the UN convention on torture which places an obligation of states to prosecute violations and the US Constitution defines ratified treaties as the highest law of the land.

Some might call it torture

In fact some do! Now that at least one highly placed American official, Susan Crawford who is the convening authority of the (illegal) military commissions, has admitted that the US HAS tortured at least one of those illegally detained at Gitmo isn't it time for investigations and prosecutions? After all Captain Codpiece has gone on record to say that the "US doesn't torture" which must mean it is a crime, right?

War crimes conference planned for February in London

Rumours that former US Defence Secretary Donald "The Unknown Unknown" Rumsfeld and by-then former US Vice President "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney will be on hand to offer pointers cannot be confirmed at this time.

I may attend if my work schedule permits.

And the truth shall set you free...

Lord Bingham, a highly respected former Lord Chief Justice, has broken the omertà surrounding Lord Goldsmith's advice to then PM St. Tony Blair over the (illegal) invasion of Iraq and made the rather bold statement that this act by the US and the UK was a "serious violation of international law"; a statement that, if true, would seem to mean that St. Tony, Captain Codpiece and any number of those around them could be considered war criminals.

You may find this of interest

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has quietly asked the Attorney General to investigate MI5 and the CIA for possible criminal wrong doing in the torture of UK resident Binyam Mohamed. Mr. Mohamed was "rendered" to Morocco where his "interrogation" alleged included incisions on his penis amongst other indignities and degradations.

Could this be the end of a beautiful friendship?

It will also be interesting to see if any of the US press pick up the story. In addition to The Guardian the story has been covered here by The Independent, The Times and, rather surprisingly the right wing Daily Mail, although they couldn't bring themselves to use the word "torture" without putting quotes around it.

Today in infamy

10 years ago today, at the behest of a Spanish judge, British police arrested alleged war criminal Augusto Pinochet in a London hospital. I would think that "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney should consider his future movements carefully!

Somehow this seems appropriate

I stumbled on this quote from Lily Tomlin the other day:

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."

Somehow it seems right in the current economic climate and we shouldn't forget this about the few that will come out of this on top.

I love Ms. Tomlin but I've still never really forgiven her for this unprovoked attack on Philadelphia some 30 odd years ago.

Reassuring words

I have just finished reading Philippe Sands's excellent and disturbing book Torture Team: Deception, Cruelty and the Compromise of Law Philippe Sands. In it the eminent human rights attorney, who used to share chambers with St. Tony's wife Cherie Booth (whatever did they talk about), tracks the involvement of the lawyers in the American path to torture and violations of international law. In one of the later chapters Mr. Sands discusses with an unnamed Judge and prosecutor from a NATO country the possible expose of these seven or eight people to international prosecution. In the words of the Judge:

"It's a matter of time, these things take time. And then something unexpected happens, when one of these lawyers travels to the wrong place."

So we have something to look forward to then.

By the way if you have read Mr. Sands's other equally disturbing book Lawless World it is well worth a read as well.

The coming war with Pakistan

The government of Pakistan has made it perfectly clear that it will not tolerate violations of international law in the form of unwelcome American incursions into Pakistani territory.

Why I think that we should give up on impeachment...

...and, assuming that the allegations in Ron Suskind's new book are true, concentrate on getting Captain Codpiece, "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney and associated evil minions tried and convicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Do we need clearer evidence that this lot did exactly what most of those tried at Nuremberg were convicted of, waging an illegal war of aggression.

Today Yesterday in infamy

I almost forgot. Yesterday was the 63rd anniversary of the largest and worst terrorist attack in the history of humankind.

Guilty as charged!!!

Those dangerous freedom haters and terrorist enablers at the International Red Cross has found that the administration of Captain Codpiece and his evil minions have probably committed war crimes. The mere prospect of Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney having to face a court someday, probably in Europe, is making exciting things happen to my ever so patriotic little man downstairs!

Well where the hell are the statistics?

Lies and damn lies.

In which I explain why I am not proud to be an American

Because it is now becoming clear that, with absolute certainty, both the US military and the US "intelligence" community have engaged in systematic, intentional and highly managed horrific abuse of prisoners and detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and places unnamed. We have finally lost any remaining moral authority we may have had. These are crimes against humanity and someone, hopefully several someones, high up needs to pay and pay dearly.

Key quote: "If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong".

Today in war crimes

Somehow I had always imagined that on the day that a Thatcher was named as a probable war criminal in a court of law, (even if the court is a dodgy one), that it would have been the mother and not the son. That said, Mark Thatcher is one irritating toss pot and I am certain he is guilty of something!

Every journey begins with a single step

Personally I believe that there exists sufficient evidence to suggest that Captain Codpiece is guilty of war crimes and/or crimes against humanity including waging an aggressive war (see Count 1 of the Nuremberg indictments). Ergo I think that the plans by the Dean of the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover to assemble a conference to discuss prosecution of Our Great Leader is not without merit. Expect the normal chorus of outrage and accusations of treason from the usual suspects.

Isn't there a crime here or are we no longer a "nation of laws"?

The Pentagon explicitly urged interrogators at the Guantánamo Bay Beach and Leisure Resort to destroy any and all notes relating to the interrogation and treatment of prisoners in case they were called to testify. I'm sure that the Department of Justice will get right on this.

I think we finally have real evidence of a war crime

Assuming that the quotes from General Ricardo Sanchez's new book are accurate I would think that Captain Codpiece is certainly guilty of incitement to murder as well as to indiscriminate slaughter. In his "pep" talk with his generals he said, and I quote:

"There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!"

If you don't think that's a crime trying saying the same thing on a street corner in Washington DC.